PUBLIC RELATIONS TIPS — TIP NO. 78:

If you handle public relations or investor relations for (or with) a publicly traded company, this tip will serve as merely a reminder.

However, if you’re new to the IR world, please note that before sending out a news release for a publicly traded company you need to send an advance copy of your release to the stock exchange that lists your company’s shares.

Providing an advanced copy puts the exchange on notice and allows them to quickly evaluate if there is anything out-of-the-ordinary about your forthcoming news, something that might attract special interest from investors in your stock on that particular day.

Typically, an advance copy of a news announcement can be sent to the exchange a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes before a release is distributed publicly.

However, the greater the potential importance of the news to your company, the further in advance you should send a copy of your announcement to the exchange in case the exchange decides the market needs time to digest the news.

This is one of the reasons why we typically recommend distributing news before the markets officially open for trading. (If the news is big enough, there is no need to halt trading during the day.)

If you’d like more details about how (and when) to notify an exchange in advance of distributing a news release, please contact your CFO, in-house legal counsel, or an external securities attorney.

BTW: Here’s the link to the NASDAQ Electronic Disclosure Request page.